Gerald Emery Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:23 | Winning time: 4m 11.40s

A Different Kind²⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 125| D

11/8

Pretty useful hurdler and there were positives to glean from his chase debut at Warwick (16.2f, good to soft) where he was undone by a bad mistake at the fifth-last. Open to improvement in this sphere.

Form: 20674-3

Al Zaraqaan¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-6| J: Jonathan England| T: S England| OR: 121| BF| D

6/1

Smart at best on the Flat and positive start over hurdles, making it 4 on the spin at Musselburgh in December. However, form has subsequently dipped and needs to turn things around now switched to fences.

Form: 117502-

Champ De Gane^t³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: D A Jacob| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 120

7/2

Runner-up on 3 of his 4 completed starts over fences and would've won at Ayr in March had he safely negotiated the final fence. Major player.

Form: U22F62-

Vocal Duke²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-1| J: Charlotte Jones⁽³⁾| T: James Moffatt| OR: 116| CD

10/1

Four-time winner over hurdles and narrowly denied a fifth success at Carlisle in February. Both subsequent efforts have been poor, though, and hopes pinned on the switch to fences sparking a revival.

Form: 64U28-0

Gold Link²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 114

7/2

Showed plenty in 3 runs over hurdles in 2021 and proved that his ability remains intact when runner-up in a maiden at Uttoxeter (15.8f, soft) where he was returning from a 2-year layoff. Should be in the mix provided his jumping passes the test on this chase debut.

Form: 38222/2

Forecasts

A Different Kind (11/8), Champ De Gane (7/2), Gold Link (7/2), Al Zaraqaan (6/1), Vocal Duke (10/1)

Save for a bad mistake at the fifth-last, A DIFFERENT KIND jumped well on his debut over fences at Warwick and will prove hard to beat if able to avoid any mishaps here. Champ de Gane will surely pick up a race sooner rather than later and rates the main danger ahead of chasing debutant Gold Link.